Monitoring and managing material flow through a passageway at different checkpoints in the passageway in real time for conditioning of grains or seeds, for example, can increase operating efficiency and can improve profitability.
Accurate flow measurement can result in improved process management and significant cost saving for companies handling high value products such as seeds and food grade materials, grain and feed handling, corn and soybean processing, popcorn, dry food ingredients, plastic pellets, and pharmaceuticals. Continuous monitoring of flow rates can also provide useful information for equipment adjustment or integrating with a process such as adding a chemical in seed treating or ingredients during food processing.
Current technologies generally require the impact of the seed or other flowable matter on the sensing device. There is a need in the art for an apparatus and method that achieves this result without measuring impact.
Exemplary embodiments of the flow meter measures the flow by way of pressure on a sensing cap, which can also be a displacement rather than impact. These embodiments of the flow meter allow the flow measurement of the material with less damage than that observed in the prior art, wherein the flow is obstructed by the impact on a surface or an impingement ring.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a method of measuring the weight of a flowable material based on gravity or some other pressure or force. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for measuring the flow of such material.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.